Sponsor Spotlight - Sochi Signings; SportAccord Renewals; AOC Awards

Sochi 2014 signed two sponsorships Wednesday, including one important operational partner.

Sochi 2014 hopes the crowds will be this orderly and the venues this neat during the Games, just as they were at the start of last week’s figure skating test event. (Sochi 2014)

Contemporary International was announced as the organizing committee’s Event Services supplier, handling crowd management during the Games and creating training materials for volunteers and staff.

In a statement, Sochi 2014 said “managing large crowds is essential when organizing an event of this magnitude. The success of crowd control logistics, and whether long queues and pandemonium can be avoided at the stadiums, can have a real impact on the image of the Olympic Games.”

“Our experience at previous Olympic Games has given us a strong understanding of the exceptional nature of the Games, as well as its importance to the host city and country,” said Stephen Mirabile, president of Contemporary International.

German cleaning company Kärcher was announced as the Event Cleaning Services provider. Under the terms of the agreement, Kärcher will provide the industrial cleaning equipment needed during the Games.

Sochi 2014 President and CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko said the deal will keep venues “ship-shape” during the Games.

"Thanks to Kärcher, the cleanliness of the Olympic venues of the Coastal and Mountain Clusters will be 100 percent guaranteed," he said.
Malmsten, FINA Renew

FINA will continue its partnership with Malmsten for the period 2013-16.

Malmsten has served as the “Official FINA Supplier of Racing Lanes for Swimming & Open Water Swimming, Water Polo Field of Play Markings, Goals & Nets, Referee Catwalks and Ball Release Systems” since 2009.

"FINA is extremely happy to renew this partnership with Malmsten. The quality of their products and their efficiency are certainly well appreciated by our athletes and decisively help in the success of the FINA events," said FINA President Julio Maglione.

As part of the agreement, Malmsten will provide equipment at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona and Kazan in 2013 and 2015, as well as the 25m World Championships in 2014 and 2016.

FINA also requires Malmsten products to be used during the Olympic Games.

Partners for SportAccord 2013

SportAccord signed partnerships with Contemporary Group, Macau Sport Development Board and Sport Event Denmark to sponsor its 2013 convention in St. Petersburg, Russia.

St. Petersburg, host of SportAccord 2013. (Getty Images)

All three companies were “Gold Partners” from the 2012 convention in Quebec City.

“The continuing loyalty of our partners is one of the best indicators that our event delivers value for the companies that attend,” said Nis Hatt, SportAccord Convention Managing Director.

“We are very proud of the ongoing vote of confidence that our partners give us from year to year.”

Contemporary Group has been a Gold Partner for nine years with SportAccord, while the Macau Sport Development Board is in its sixth year.

Sport Event Denmark has been a Partner of SportAccord for 10 years.

The 2013 SportAccord Convention will take place at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex from May 26 to 31.

New Sponsor for IPC

Liski announced an agreement with the International Paralympic Committee to become the official sponsor of Paralympic alpine skiing.

The sponsorship deal runs through June 30, 2014.

The Italian sporting company will provide the IPC with “start tents, support poles, slalom poles and protection mattresses.”

For the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Spain, Lipski will supply safety netting for the resort during the Games.

"It is great to see the growth IPC Alpine Skiing has experienced the last couple of seasons and we are excited to invite Liski on board as the sport's official supplier in the lead up to the Sochi 2014 Games,” said Sylvana Mestre, IPC Alpine Skiing Sport Technical Committee Chairperson.
Qantas Wins AOC Award

Qantas won the inaugural Australian Olympic Committee Gold Inspiration Award for excellence in Olympic marketing.

The award “is presented to Australian Olympic Team sponsors who have achieved extraordinary success through the innovative and effective use of their Olympic sponsorship across any or all aspects of their business, having regard to the particular circumstances of the different industries and the diversity of the leveraging programs.”

"Qantas is proud to accept this award. We’ve been getting behind the Australian Olympic Team for over 60 years because we believe in the values the Olympics represent,” said Lewis Pullen, Executive Manager Marketing.

"We are pleased to have played our part in supporting the Team, as a sponsor and as official airline and the Gold Inspiration Award is testament to our commitment to the Australian Olympic Team.”

Telstra won the Silver Inspirational Award, while Swisse and Coles shared the Bronze.

Samsung Exec Gets Promotion

Top advertising executive Daiki Lim of Samsung has been named new President and CEO of Cheil Worldwide.

Cheil was once the in-house advertising company for Samsung, and the companies remain very close.

Lim worked for Cheil for 12 years before continuing his career at Samsung.
Written by
Aaron Bauer